Nearly $32 million slated to start exterior makeover of Louisiana State Capitol
Gov. Jeff Landry and state lawmakers have put $31.7 million toward refurbishing the outside of the Louisiana State Capitol.
The money, included in the annual state construction plan that took effect July 1, will be used to waterproof the Capitol's exterior in order for it to undergo a thorough cleaning.
'It is a symbol of Louisiana, and it's one of the most visited state capitol buildings in the country,' Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said. 'We're taking all the steps we need to waterproof it so it will last another 200 to 300 years.' Completed in 1932, Louisiana's State Capitol is a classic example of the Art Deco design style popular at the time and also used for the Empire State Building in New York City. Its construction took just 14 months. The building was the brainchild of Huey Long, who was a U.S. senator at the time and would be buried on its grounds three years later after his assassination in a Capitol hallway. The state will have to find more money in future years to complete the waterproofing project. It is expected to total $113.9 million, according to Louisiana's construction plan, Of the $31.7 million allocated this year, $21 million comes from general state funding and $700,000 from an account set up in 2023 for Capitol repairs. The state plans to borrow the other $10 million.
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